Weird Thefts: 5 Frequently Stolen Items You Wouldn’t Expect

Not all burglars have their eyes on cash and jewels

Dogs

While many people adopt dogs to prevent their houses from getting robbed, many robbers are actually coming for the pups themselves. In fact, the American Kennel Club reports that the number of dogs stolen each year has been marching steadily upwards since 2008. Just over 70 thefts were reported that year, compared to nearly 450 last year.

Reports of increased theft have come in across the country — in Maryland, Georgia and even Hawaii. And many thieves are “flipping” the dogs — snatching them, then selling them on Craigslist or other outlets.

While some owners have found their missing dogs for sale on the Internet, others don’t recover their dogs because they simply assume the pup is lost, and thus don’t contact the police.

MSN Money’s Jonathan Berr also noted that “thieves are especially interested in purebred and smaller dogs, which are easy to transport, that they can sell for quick cash.”

The good news is that we have the technology to stop this. An easy way to prevent this from happening to you: Microchip your pet.